Contract & Commissioning Officer

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Commissioning officer to join our Strategic Commissioning Service. The Commissioning Service are responsible for the Commissioning activities in Children’s Service in Social Care and Education.

We are looking for an enthusiastic motivated individual, to join the Children’s Services Commissioning Team in North Somerset Council. The person will be joining a small team that works strategically across all of Children and Families Services supporting operational colleagues, to meet the needs of children and young people in North Somerset.

We are looking for someone who is committed, who can demonstrate creative and innovative practices to deliver efficient and high-quality services in partnership with children and young people and their families at a time of challenge in Health and Social care.

This role will take an operational lead in commissioning overview and direction of our commissioned services for all children and young people across Children’s Services. They will be responsible for ensuring the effective commissioning of high-quality services in collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders, including children and young people and market providers.

The post holder will develop, shape and deliver an overarching programme to meet the needs of children and young people and ensure that the Local Authority has access to sufficient and suitable high-quality services and placements. They will support the quality assurance and compliance of the services through robust contract monitoring. The Service comprises of a Commissioning Team, and a Placement Team. The post holder will have a diverse role and work closely with colleagues in the operational teams and with the procurement team, supporting needs analysis of service needs and the development of new services. 

North Somerset is a great place to work with good transport links and a Children’s Directorate that is working hard to meet the needs of children and young people together, ambitious to become an outstanding authority. We offer great support to staff as well as enabling career development opportunities through training and development

The post holder will need to work closely in partnership with all stakeholders to achieve this aim, with the support of the Team. The post is flexible and whilst you are required to come into the office it is a hybrid role, allowing you to work from home and the office in a flexible way.

The applicant needs to have previous related commissioning experience in health and/or social care. In this role, you will; Significant post qualification work experience to develop and use systems for contracting, including market analysis and quality assurance to support areas of Children’s Social Care and Education. Through purchasing or commissioning services from the independent sector. Supporting strategic developments in commissioning in all areas of social care and education, including SEND, 16 plus and edge of care.

Key Responsibilities:

• Undertake procurement processes and monitor the resulting contracts to ensure compliance with the specifications and statutory responsibilities.
• Advice on specifications to be included in contracts to maintain standards in accordance with legislation and agreed local protocols.
• Propose and help implement service improvements within an integrated services plan to improve the outcomes for service users and the council ensuring compliance with legislation and local conventions.
• Undertake a designated specialist role/s within the team and be a lead specialist in at least one of the professional areas.
• Provide support and advice to identified stakeholders as detailed within the services work programme and address identified needs to comply with quality assurance and professional standards.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Valid driving licence and own transport, or be able to provide alternative, suitable method of travel is an essential condition for this role.

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Flexible Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

• 2-3 days in the office
• Works both from home and the office, depending on the task at hand.
• Training is provided to help balance work-life and manage time effectively, with an emphasis on communication for team touchpoints and planning in-office days for collaboration.

About You

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about Children’s Services, and who possesses the following skills and experience:

• Educated to degree level or with relevant equivalent professional development in service such as commissioning or procurement management
• Hold a thorough understanding of the legislative framework and statutory guidance which underpins the provision of education, early years and children’s services and a good understanding of emerging strategy and policy developments
• Experience of working in a contracts and commissioning function within a local government setting or an ability to adapt approaches used in other sectors to a local government setting and being responsible for leading the commissioning process from end to end through initial scoping to evaluation of contract performance
• Experience of engaging a wide range of stakeholders to agree priorities, advise and agree the scope of commissioning in conjunction with the Head of Commissioning
• Strong child-centred and outcomes driven approach to all commissioning activity
• Strong skills in partnering and the ability to influence positive change through effective partnership
• Ability to work effectively in a local government context (legal, financial, political).

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible working arrangements
• Local Government Pension
• Opportunities for professional development
• Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums
• Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet.

How to Apply

If you share our vision and values and are ready to make an impact to North Somerset, please select the apply online button below. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application by 11.59pm on the application closing date. When completing our online application form, please detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact Alison Stone, Head of Service, Strategic Commissioning. alison.stone@n-somerset.gov.uk. 07971497811

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job role.

Interview Date: Wednesday 25 June and Friday 27 June 2025.  

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK and are unable to provide Sponsorship for this role.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated.  We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave.  We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work. 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.